


Calling Out to You

by Anonymous



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Magic, i guess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-19
Updated: 2018-02-19
Packaged: 2019-03-21 03:29:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13732185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: The ground was cold and dead beneath him but that didn't matter. Sid pressed his hands into the dirt like Flower had shown him all those years ago and let his magic go. He could feel the magic leaching out of him and into the foundations of the house, binding a part of himself there. Around him the grass perked up despite the cold, and the trees stood taller to catch the weak winter sun that shone up above him. As more and more of himself settled into the ground he could feel his shoulders unwind and the muscles in his back unclench for the first time in days. Weeks.





	Calling Out to You

**Author's Note:**

> Here is... whatever this is. Idk I wrote this at 2 am earlier this week while procrastinating writing a paper. The paper is done finally so I decided to clean this up and post it. I've never really written anything before but I love magic!aus so fucking much that I just couldn't resist attempting to write something for the fluff fest. Be warned that there's some angst in there because I apparently can't write fluff without it. So be prepared for that and all of my Flower feels. Way too many Flower feels but whatever that's where my brain went first, and I'm not sorry. This hasn't been beta read but I hope you enjoy it anyway.

The ground was cold and dead beneath him but that didn't matter. Sid pressed his hands into the dirt like Flower had shown him all those years ago and let his magic go. He could feel the magic leaching out of him and into the foundations of the house, binding a part of himself there. Around him the grass perked up despite the cold, and the trees stood taller to catch the weak winter sun that shone up above him. As more and more of himself settled into the ground he could feel his shoulders unwind and the muscles in his back unclench for the first time in days. Weeks. In front of him the tiny pond at the edge of his property froze over as the magic reached it. He could feel it now. His magic reaching out and filling the area, reclaiming it as his and then returning to him cleaner, purer, and less restless. He'd been feeling pent up and twitchy all week, but they'd been on a road trip and he didn't have the time nor the place he needed for this. Now though, they were back in Pittsburgh, which meant he could hole up in his house and let go. 

As it often had lately his mind turned to the past. He doesn't miss the days when he was younger and less sure of himself. The hours spent with Mario, the older mage helping him learn the limits of his magic, or the arguments with Flower as he tried to hide part of himself away. He doesn't miss the days when he was scared of what his magic might do, all the ways it strained to express itself and the ways he struggled to keep it hidden. But he does miss the companionship. The times the kids would beg their father into freezing over the neighborhood pond so they could play shinny or the way Mario would coax him into helping; soft and fatherly and just what Sid needed to bring him out of his shell. The fall afternoons spent with Flower letting their magic go as the world turned from heat and growth to sleep and cold. And the dinners afterwards when Vero had dragged them inside and made them help her cook. Mario might have taught him that his magic was okay, but it was Flower who taught him how to accept himself.

As he sat there, letting his magic go, he felt the emptiness of his house, and realized he was lonely. It wasn't the first time he'd felt that way, but it had been a while. When was the last time he'd had someone over? The team had barely been over since the start of the season and the last time he'd taken someone home for the night had been before the playoffs last year. It'd been even longer than that since he'd had anyone over for more than a night. The French-Canadians used to invade his home fairly regularly, descending upon him with all the light and laughter of their mischievous personalities and their families, but with Duper retired and Flower out west, Tanger rarely made the effort on his own. Instead it was Sid invading his house and borrowing his kid when Sid was feeling bored or Alex needed babysat. And it wasn't just Tanger and his family. He'd been spending a lot of time out with the team this season. He spent a lot of time with those who were still there and got to know the new guys pretty well. But mostly he'd spent his time with Geno.

Geno whose house felt like sunshine and winter and the certain metallic tang that was uniquely him. Sid used to think that the hint of metal was a mark of Russia; a reminder of the contract that Geno had broken to come to the NHL and that his time in Pittsburgh was temporary. That one day he'd retire back to Russia and that would be that. It took Sid a long time to realize that it wasn't Russia he was sensing, but simply Geno. Geno who was the winter’s son, with iron in his bones, and a spirit stronger than the strongest steel. Magnitogorsk may have had claim on him at one point, but Pittsburgh is a steel town too, and it's hold is just as strong.

They'd spent a lot of time together this season, both of them missing absent teammates and trying to figure out how to get what remained of the team back up to snuff despite the constant back to back games and no time for practice. Sid wouldn't admit it if anyone asked, but he liked it. Liked spending time with Geno. Geno's house was warm where his was cold, filled with the echoes of friends and family that wrapped around you like a blanket on a cold winter's day and warmed you up like Mama Malkin's cooking. Sid had spent a bit too much time there this season wrapped up in that warmth. He'd started leaving pieces of himself behind without realizing it. At first it was a book or trinket here and there, a sweatshirt or two, but after he realized he was leaving bits of his magic behind he knew he had to stop. Which is what lead him to his current position on his back porch with his magic free for the first time since he'd realized.

He liked Geno. He'd always liked Geno. Geno who is tall and funny and kind in such a roundabout way. He liked his smile, his skinny chicken legs, his frankly terrible English, and don't even get him started on Geno's hockey. Sid could go on for hours about Geno’s hockey. He can admit in the quiet of his own home that while he's had a crush on Geno for a while, this season is the first time he's thought he could love Geno. Might even be in love with him. And that yearning, that unspoken 'what if' just made him feel lonelier now in his big empty house than he had since the season started and he was forced to deal with all the empty spaces in the locker room Flower and the others used to fill. Geno had promised him a long time ago 'penguins for life' and while sometimes he'd doubted his end of the promise he'd never doubted Geno'. Geno who was so amazing to play with. Who had been on absolute fire recently. Who had been by his side for so long, through so much. Geno who meant so much to him. Geno... who Sid's magic finally noticed he was at his back door.

Sid snapped back to himself in a rush, the knowledge of someone else in his house bringing him out of his introspection. It took him a moment to pull back his magic and settle it inside himself. Once he did he shivered. His magic had kept him from feeling the cold but it was still the middle of winter and he was sitting on the edge of his back porch with his fingers playing idly with the dirt and grass underneath his hand. He looked up at Geno questioningly.

"I'm knock but you no answer. What you doing out here?" Geno asked once it was clear he had Sid’s attention.

"Just letting my magic out. It's been a busy couple of weeks and it's been feeling a little cooped up. You know how it goes." Sid stood, stretching the stiffness out of his muscles. He wondered briefly how long he'd been out there before Geno had let himself in, then dismissed the thought. His magic wouldn't let any harm come to him while he was in that state. If anything it'd probably respond to any danger and deal with it before he could realize what was going on. He ushered Geno inside and then followed him into the kitchen.

"What are you doing here Geno?" He asked once inside. "We didn't make lunch plans on the plane did we?" He turned to get himself a glass of water and was about to ask Geno if he wanted one when he was interrupted.

"Why you not say?" Geno asked. It was then Sid noticed the look on his face. It was intent and worried. It was the look Geno got when he thought Sid was pushing himself too hard or hiding an injury. Sid had no idea what had put that look there this time.

"Why didn't I say what? Geno you're not making any sense. Are you okay?"

"You the one not okay. Could feel you, Sid. Could feel magic. Calling. Lonely. Calling me. Why you not say you feel this way?"

"I..." Sid was at a loss for words. "I'm not sure what to say. I'm not sure what you want me to say." All the media training in the world had not prepared him for this. "It's just a feeling. I don't think I even realized that I was lonely until just now. It'll pass. I'm probably just missing Flower after seeing him so recently. It's been a hard couple of games. Don’t worry. It’ll pass. Want any water?” Sid got himself a glass and then when Geno still hadn’t responded he got him one anyway. When he turned back around to hand Geno the water he was met with Geno’s stupidly earnest face. God, Sid loved that face.

“Don’t like when Sid sad. Next time you sad, come visit. I’m always have time for you. You best captain, best hockey player, best friend. I'm take care”

“Best after you of course?” Sid asked dryly, attempting to chirp Geno and get this conversation back to a comfortable topic.

“Of course. I’m best at everything. But you best too. I serious.” Geno took the cup of water from Sid and fiddled with it idly before putting it down on the table next to him without taking a drink.

“I know you are Geno,” Sid said with a small smile before hiding it by taking a drink.

“Don’t want best captain to feel lonely. I’m feel sad when that happens.”

"Okay Geno, whatever you say." Sid sighed and motioned for Geno to follow him into the living room. He wasn't sure where this conversation was going, but he didn't think they needed to be standing for it. They both sat down on opposite sides of the couch looking at each other. Sid took another long drink from his glass of water before putting it down on the coffee table and starting in on his next question. “I've got another question for you Geno. What do you mean, you could feel I was lonely? Last I checked emotions weren't your thing.”

“Could feel your magic. Magic was calling. Lonely. I’m not like. So I’m come over.” Geno wasn’t looking at Sid as he said this. Instead he was playing with the edge of the blanket thrown over the arm of the couch. Sid figured that now that Geno was sitting in his living room he was probably starting to realize how much of an invasion of privacy coming over like this was. Sid let him stew for a minute. It’s not like Sid really minded the company but he didn’t want Geno to know that.

“What were you doing at the rink?” Sid asked after a minute. “We have the afternoon off.” There were only a few places besides his house where Sid let his magic go but the rink was one of them. It had taken him a long time to get used to it after how rigid everything was in juniors but no one kept their magic bound in the locker room in the NHL. On the ice was one thing and there were rules against using magic during a game, but the locker room was the team’s and the magic in there reflected that. If Geno had felt what he was feeling then Geno must have been there. Aside from some echos in Mario’s guest room there were no other places in Pittsburgh that he could think of that he’d let his magic go enough to create an anchor with the kind of resonance that Geno would be able to feel.

“Not at rink,” Geno contradicted softly, still not looking at Sid. “ At home." He paused for a second. "Feel magic there. Knew you lonely and I’m not want.”

“So you came over here,” Sid said slowly as he finally pieced things together. He’d left more of his magic at Geno’s place than he thought if it hadn't dissipated at this point and was strong enough that Geno could feel the emotions in it.

“Exactly,” Geno said, finally looking up. There was something soft and sincere in his eyes as he looked at him that Sid couldn’t name. Sid was the one to look away this time. Fiddling with the glass of water in front of him.

“Sorry,” Sid said. He could feel a blush starting to make itself known on his cheeks. "You home is your place. I thought I’d gotten all the stray pieces of my magic that were there. Next time I’m over I'll take care of it. I shouldn't have intruded like that.” His whole face was probably red at this point, he just knew it.

“No need apologize.” Geno said, reaching out to put a hand on Sid’s arm. Sid looked up at him. That soft look was still in his eyes. “I like. Miss you when you stop coming over. You not only one little bit lonely. Know I’m can’t keep you but magic like little piece I can keep.”

“Geno, I…” Sid started to say and then trailed off as Geno’s words sunk in. “What do you mean a piece of me you can keep?” Geno retracted his hand and hung his head.

“Is stupid. Know I can’t have you like that but I’m want. When you leave magic I’m pretend for little bit, but know you don’t mean it like that. Like I’m want you to.”

“Mean it like what? Are you saying you like me?” Sid asked as hope bloomed in his chest. At those words Geno’s shoulders slumped more and his head curled deeper into his chest.

“So sorry.” He apologized again. “Know you don’t want. I’m try to get over it but then feel you today and…” Geno trailed off sounding helpless and punctuated the end of his sentence with a little shrug.

“Hey no, I didn’t mean it like that. And I did. Mean it like that. The magic I mean,” Sid tried to reassure Geno but he could feel himself not making sense and getting frustrated about it. He let out a breathe and tried to get his thoughts in order. “I do like you Geno. I just didn’t want you to know because I didn’t think you felt the same way. But, I mean, if you want to be partners, I’d like to try.” Geno looked up hesitantly. The tentative smile on his face was the best thing Sid had seen in days.

“You would?” he asked.

“I would,” Sid confirmed. He stretched his hand out to Geno who reached out and clasped it. Sid lingered there for a moment before quickly getting up and going to the end of the couch where Geno was sitting. He took Geno’s face into his hands for a moment before drawing him into a quick kiss. It was sweet and simple and exactly what Sid had refused to let himself hope for. Sid pulled back after a few seconds and rested his forehead against Geno’s. Sid could feel his magic reaching out to Geno, wanting to touch him, and for once Sid didn’t see a point in stopping it. Geno gasped when Sid's magic made contact with him but he didn't pull away. If anything he melted further into Sid's hands. Sid could feel Geno's magic reaching back and it was the best thing he'd ever felt. They kissed again and Sid knew then that he wouldn't have a reason to feel lonely again for a very long time.

**Author's Note:**

> And they all lived happily ever after. And had tons of hot sex that I don't want to write. And probably came into practice the next day to all of their teammates screaming "finally". Sid gets a voicemail message from Flower that's half congratulations half weird sex ed and half crying cause he's happy them but he's sad he's not there to see it.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed whatever this is. Technically everyone has magic but I don't really quantify it at all because I'm lazy and so you only get to see Sid's magic.


End file.
